Ghost of the Past
by juliasejanus
Summary: Mutant Powers often emerge after a severe emotional shock during puberty. Alex Rider tries to cope with a persistant illness after arriving in San Francisco. Mutant Telepath Alex. Post X-men the movie and Pre X2 Slash Alex/Pryo.
1. Chapter 1

St. John, John or the name he actually preferred, Pyro, had been a student at the mansion for nearly a year. 11 months and fours days since Storm and Jean had collected him from behind a dumpster in New York where he had been beaten and left for dead. He had to admit not many came here in as poor a condition he'd been in. Hell, the first three weeks he'd been here had been spent in med bay. In the following months, Pyro had gotten used to the odd occasions when he knew a new arrival was invited to Mutant High. The teachers, no X-men, would assign study hall and disappear. This time Jean and Charles had gone on a hunting trip with Cyclops.

There were two main groups here at Mutant High, runaways typically those rejected by their families and the small group who still had loose links with their biological parents and siblings. Pyro had never had a particularly happy home life, more like a strained existence at best and a prison with liberal beatings at worst. Some people should not have kids and Candice and Marshall Allerdyce were two such people, abandoning their only son at the first sign of him being a freak.

He'd had nearly three years on his own, getting by with the occasional handout, the less frequent temporary home, but mostly by stealing or hustling. He'd even worked for various periods. He was a good mechanic, car thief and stooge for scams, when he hooked up with some grifters. The best experience had been as a scared 12 year old desperate to leave Australia far behind, completely in denial of his new abilities, so he'd stowed away had been on board a container ship. The Philippino crew had found him and then let him work for the food he ate and not bothered him. He'd travelled from Sydney to Panama and then hitched north to New York as a twelve year old, by the time he got to the Big Apple he'd learned enough tricks to get by and serious burned the few creeps who would not leave him alone. Since his arrival at Westchester, he'd been in therapy to get over his abandonment and anger issues.

Pyro had to admit he did not get on with his peers. Life on the streets, meant he'd had to be tutored extensively to make up for three years of missed school. Maybe he'd have caught up enough after Christmas to actually sit in with those in the same age as he was, nearly sixteen. August had dragged, Bobby his room mate was away, at home or on holiday with the perfect Drake family. Pyro was doing summer school. He was sick of being labeled stupid or dysfunctional by the rest of the kids. He was an outcast among outcasts.

Three of the eighteen year old boys were waiting in his usual smoking spot. He really should learn these peoples names.

"Look its Stupid! Got through your Grade 7 course book yet, Johnny." said the first greaseball.

Pyro did not rise to the occasion, just lit up his cigarette. Funny most of the kids had never even conversed with him, just stuck with the rumours and jibes put out by the older kids. "So what is your mutant ability, being a freak and weirdo? Huh!" with his the other kid pushed him.

Pyro smiled and played with a ball of fire in the palm of his hand. "I could burn you all and don't think I haven't done it before." What ensured was a scrappy fight, all four boys getting injured before Pyro was overwhelmed. The next thing he knew Storm was having a freaky and Piotr was carrying him to med bay again. This being his fourth incident of fighting but Pyro was the type never to walk away from a confrontation. Playing with fire was the only thing that made him feel truly alive.

...

The Pleasures, his foster family, had gone shopping, leaving Alex in bed, with his man flu. He stumbled into the bathroom and downed a handful of Tylenol. The damn stuff was just not shifting the headache he had been suffering from since his return from Cairo. He'd been in San Francisco three weeks and was a shadow of his former self. He was not sleeping, not eating and the headache was getting worse. It had started out as a dull throb and now it was stabbing through his skull. He was going to the hospital today. He needed to get this sorted out. Alex had not taken his antidepressants this morning, maybe that's what was causing his headaches.

He felt worse on the bus as the other passengers seemed to press in on him. By the time he stood in the waiting area to see the doctor he'd had enough, the people surrounding him were all too loud, too close, too much. He stood to leave and promptly fainted. He woke in a hospital bed feeling like death warmed up, his head was throbbing, the pain spiking due to the hushed discussion Liz and Edward were with a doctor. Alex rasped "Please be quiet... turn out the lights and can I have something for my migraine?"

The bastard doctor then shone a light in Alex's eyes so he started to wretch. Pile burned up his throat and he spat the vile liquid out over himself not caring about the mess. "Please can I have something for the pain...Please, its really bad."

X rays, MRI and CAT scan, blood and urine tests. Alex felt like a pin cushion and only slept when they doped him to high heaven. His third day in hospital, there was no sign of a cause of his headache nor any signs of illness. No infection, his brain was perfectly normal and then the doctor suggested it was psychosomatic or that Alex was faking and had a serious pain killer dependancy. He got back to the Pleasure's house and all pain killers had been removed.

He lay in bed and spent hours staring at the ceiling. The next day Edward came into his room and ranted at Alex, who lay on the bed in the same clothes he'd worn yesterday. Edward pulled up the blinds and ordered his foster son to shower, get off his backside and come downstairs to eat something. Each word seemed to rip through the air, stabbing through Alex's weary body. He ignored Edward and continued to lay on his bed only moving to crawl to the toilet, to puke up bile, pee and to sip water. He then started to hallucinate, he thought he could hear Liz and Edward talking of committing him, but they were downstairs and Sabina had her stereo on, playing god awful music in the next bedroom way too loud. He then overheard a phone conversation between Edward and Mrs Jones... Ambulance on its way...clinic in Oakland... depression... anorexia... addiction to pain killers. If he stayed lying here he was going to the funny farm.

After three tries, Alex got up, picked up his wallet and somehow managed to get out of the bedroom window and across the yard without alerting anyone. He did not stop until he got off his fourth bus in the middle of nowhere. He walked away from the highway and into the wilderness, not caring of the direction he was going, the further he walked into the emptiness the better he actually felt. It had been two days since his last pill or injection.

He woke to see a clear blue sky overhead and realised he felt better than he had in weeks. He sat up and noticed he was in the middle of a fucking desert. He had his wallet, no phone, no luggage, no water or rations and no idea where he was. Alex lay back down, he was dehydrated, hungry and he really did not care. He felt at peace for the first time in weeks. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound of the wind. He listened to the small sounds of the desert, then he dozed off. He was hallucinating again as he could hear a calm voice speaking to him, telling him they were coming for him, that they would be there soon. Alex spelt peacefully, relaxed with the sound of the gentle voice running through his head.

Alex Rider lay unconscious and did not see the sleek black jet land fifty yards from his prone body. A tall young woman with dark red hair levitated the teenager into the cool rear bay of the airplane and administered emergency first aid. A bald man sat and observed the boy, an emerging telepath and empath. A powerful mutant with an horrific past who had escaped from foster parents who were about to commit him. The cocktail of antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood suppressants would have destroyed the teenagers emerging gifts. The boy would learn to shield his mind, control his emerging abilities and find a home in Upstate New York at Xavier's school for the Gifted.


	2. Chapter 2

Pyro woke up and the first thing he noticed was the skeletal blond haired kid with bad sunburn in the bed next to him. The kid was possibly skinnier than he had been when he'd arrived here. Pyro noticed the feeding tube, the drip and the fact the kid looked like a corpse. Jean Grey came in and started fussing over Pyro. He had a cracked cheek bone, concussion and fractured left wrist. Jean told Pyro to lie back down as he was on bed rest for at least two days

Curiosity got the better of John, when he asked "Who's the new kid?"

"His name is Alex. Alex Rider. He's just come into his powers. He's been having a serious reaction between prescribed medication and his gift. Mind controlling drugs can cause a telepath serious damage. Once he's clean he'll wake up."

"So is he like the Professor or can he move things with his mind like you?" asked Pyro. He thought Jean's power was seriously cool.

Jean smiled "We'll have to wait and see."

Two days in a hospital bed was not so bad really, at least Pyro did not have to interact with the other inmates of the asylum. The next day Pyro had read three books on his suggested reading list. He was in danger of becoming a bit of a bookworm. It helped that the Professor came with a new book each time he'd been down to visit med bay. Pyro was sure he'd come to check on Alex but he'd brought gifts for Pyro, of chocolate, cookies and candy each time as well. Professor X was cool in a weird way. He always knew what you needed. However, the Professor was Pyro's only visitor. Damn, he missed Iceman. He had no one dropping by with the latest gossip drifting around Mutant High. Lately Bobby had been preoccupied by his budding relationship with Rogue. Possibly the only cool girl in the entire school, not that Pyro would admit he liked the girl. He was glad for Bobby, as the Iceman had told Pyro of the growing distance between the mutant and his family. Mostly caused by the fac they thought Mutant High was a school for the gifted not for freaks of nature. Pyro knew it was only a matter of time things came to a head. Bobby hoped his parents would accept him, warts and all but normals liked their own kind. Better here with the other freaks than at the mercy of the bastards in the 'normal' world.

Early the next morning, Pyro woke to Alex coughing. He got up and helped him to take sips from a glass of water. Alex had warm brown eyes and his face twitched twitched in pain, when Pyro helped him lie back down. Pyro then gasped and sat down heavily on his own bed. He then noted distacted that the kid, Alex, was talking to him, well it was more a raspy whisper "Thanks for the drink. Who beat the crap out of you?"

"Umm some guys. No one here likes me much." Pyro lay back down, wondering why he felt slightly, no very, off.

"Yeah I know all about that." was muttered before the kid asked, "So Mutant High? Does that mean I'm a mutant freak?" Alex then wondered how he knew everything about the school, the students and the teachers.

"Yeah, Jean said you were a telepath." Pyro added rubbing his forehead.

The kid then blushed and added sheepishly "Oh right, ummm, sorry"

"Sorry?" Pyro was perplexed what was the kid apologising for?

"I kind of know all about you. You touched me. I can't read you from here, only when I touch." Alex was confused at this strange turn of events.

Pyro closed his eyes and was then assaulted by images, feelings and a life not his own. "No worries, you kind of shared, Alex."

Alex sat horrified at a stranger knowing all about his crappy life and then relaxed as he processed that Pyro's life was no bed of roses either. Pyro had not freaked out about him. So obviously was cool about unintentional sharing. "So I need a new name?"

"Yeah. Pyro was easy for me. Fire has been my only friend since I was 12. Well, Bobby... you know, I share a room with Iceman. He's cool in every sense. Totally together, tries to be friends, but.."

"Yeah, I know. How can you be friends with people who still have faith in humanity?" Alex pondered Pyro's shitty home life and horrific life on the streets. Pyro had learned skills that echoed Alex's training with dear Uncle Ian.

"Yeah. I did things... bad things... to survive. So did you. Most of the kids here think they had a bad time, just running. They accept they have a home here, I still think.."

"You'll never fit in anywhere." Alex sat up and pulled at the hospital gown, noticing the cubes, catheter and the fact he was hooked up to various machines. "I have to go. The people I worked for will come and get me."

Alex then noted two strangers arrive. A tall beautiful woman with dark red hair and an old bald man in a wheelchair, who had kind eyes and soft gentle voice, who spoke both with words and in Alex's mind, "Do not worry. You are safe here. State police in California have declared you dead, lost in the wilderness. Three days in high desert in the state you were in, no one could have survived that long. Your 'suicide' has been reported in the papers stating you were disturbed, depressed and suicidal."

"So I need a new identify..." At this point the blond teenager laughed and turned to Pyro. "I've figured out my mutant name, its Ghost. I'm dead. I don't exist, not anymore."

Alex then looked between these three people, two telepaths and one 'Alex clone'. "So, can I learn to sheild or will I share everything with everyone I touch?"

The professor then smiled, "You will be able to shield your emerging telepathy with meditation and practice. Your empathy will probably require you to wear gloves and avoid casual contact with people."

"So you guys know all about me. I have enemies and the type of 'friends' who are as bad as my enemies. I'm dangerous."

"Everyone here is viewed as dangerous, a threat to mankind. We can and will protect ourselves, but we must work to avoid open an open war between mutants and the rest of humanity. Human evolution has a nasty habit of wiping out those who are one step behind. This time humanity might fight the emergence of a new genus of humanity."

"Great! So, its us and them. I ... I just start thinking a new identity would be good for me and its all political. I need to think about all this. I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to the media lately but the Mutant phenomena is not front page news anymore. What happens here if you get tarred with the same brush as Magneto and his Brotherhood?"

"We have escape plans. Each and every student has the means to protect themselves. Telepathy is not just reading thoughts, memories and emotions. You can manipulate these as well. Make people forget or distract them."

"Jedi mind trick!" was exclaimed out loud by both boys at the same time. Alex then laughed and was joined by his new 'twin', Pyro.


	3. Chapter 3

Ben Daniels could not believe it. The kid, Alex, Cub, was dead. Ben had been assured by Mrs Jones that Alex had a good foster placement and was getting all the therapy he needed. It looked like Cub had gone to California, gone off the deep end and given up. Starving himself then walking into the desert to die. After taking shit loads of pills to try and get over the pain of his guardian dying. 15. He was only 15. Ben re-read the police report and the notes the CIA had added. Ben left the office in a daze and went home.

Ben walked into his small flat in Tottenham. He did not bother to switch on the light, he just sat in his small sitting room and stared straight ahead trying to make sense of this complete and utter fuck up. MI6 had driven a teenager to kill himself in what was one of the most protracted, horrible ways possible. Alex had taken himself to hospital, begging for help to be dismissed as a delusional, self obsessed addict. He'd seen the one person who cared for him from the age of seven brutally murdered, and everyone assumed he was a stupid, attention seeking kid. Ben knew PTSD took many forms, Alex's symptoms just sounded like an extreme case. The plans to commit Alex to mental care had been too little too late. It was after eight by the time Ben booted up his computer and sent a group email to all his old friends in the SAS. 'Cub killed himself' and added the scanned copy of the article in the San Francisco Examiner. Plain facts in black and white.

Snake was the first one to call. He was currently on staff at Hereford, now teaching emergency medical proceedures to recruits.

Ben actually moved to pick up the phone when he heard Snake on the answerphone "Pick up, Fox. You have to talk.."

"Hey, Snake, how's the family?"

"Great, Mhaire is pregnant, again. I swear I look at her and it happens. Four kids, who in this day and age has four kids. I'm getting fixed after this one. Shit.. Fox. I thought Cub had finally got a good placement." Snake had been Fox's best friend in the SAS. Fox still talked to him regularly. You had to let off steam to someone and Snake had listened as Fox told all about the stresses and strains of working for MI6. Fox had learned all about Cairo after debriefing Smithers. Poor Alex had lost everyone. The sniper attack on the school had cost him his home, school and friends and Cairo had lost him his last bit of family.

Ben sighed, "He was misdiagnosed in hospital. No one caught on he had advanced PTSD. The kid asked for help and they sent him home. Sounds just like Puma, he walked into the IED no one could stop him. Just had enough. Cub had had enough as well."

"Can I post this on our general notice board. Nearly everyone remembers Cub."

"Go ahead. I guess I should organise a memorial."

The Smither's guy at MI6 had sent Tom an e-mail. Tom sat in his room and stared at the screen. He was meant to be tidying up but Tom had logged on to his account just to catch up but was now in shock. His mother came into his room and started moaning about the dirty cups, the clothes everywhere and the musty smell, when Tom whispered "Alex is dead, Alex Rider... Druggie Rider... my best mate killed himself last week."

Diane Harris was sure she had misheard her son, Alex had decent foster parents at last, something had happened to that flakey American girl and he'd gone to live in California. She stopped attempting to tidy up and looked around in shock "Excuse me?"

Tom stood to leave the room, stating in a clear voice.. "Alex Rider. Is dead. Suicide."

Tom walked out of his room, out of the flat, across the estate and went straight to the park and screamed at the top of his voice before collapsing on the ground. Those bastards had done this to his best friend. Tom Harris was sobbing his heart out in public, and barely noticed when his parents came to pick him up, to take him home. His mother had read the newspaper article. Alex had destroyed himself, not a normal suicide but long protracted self inflicted suffering. Weeks of starving himself, drug taking and finally wandering into the wilderness to die alone.

The memorial was a small gathering in Chelsea. A plaque was added to Ian Rider's tombstone. Alex Rider 1987 - 2002. There was no body and no coffin, but no one thought Alex was still alive. His wallet and his tattered jacket had been found in the desert. No sign a corpse. After 48 hours the search had been called off. The combination of dehydration, hypothermia and heatstroke would have killed any teenager after three days in the high desert.

Tom sneered at his classmates from Brookland who came to pay respects to the kid they'd all sent to coventry and gossiped about behind his back. He felt like spitting at Blunt and Jones, who looked cold and emotionless after their abuse of Alex had caused this. Tom was now a very angry young man. Not that he was staying in London. He was off to Italy in the morning. He was starting a new life with Jerry away from his crappy parents, the bastards at school and the bitter realisation of the type of people who ran the government. Tom had coasted at school, now he would work to become a good student like Alex had been, train to be the best footballer possible. He would live the life that should have been Alex's.

...

Pyro hung around the medical bay. Normally he would leave at the soonest opportunity but now he kept Ghost company. He sat in as the Professor taught Alex to shield himself and to control his gift. Pyro did not understand most of what went on. The two telepaths sat still and silent for their exchanges. Then Alex would touch Pyro and he would know everything. Touch telepathy and empathic transfer were Ghost's skills. Alex should be able to control his mind to prevent complete transfer of consciousness again. It was funny but the Professor thought their bonding was a good thing. Both boys were damaged by their pasts. Now they had each other.

Alex sat in the wheelchair and was taken upstairs to a large comfortable dorm room, two other beds, one of which was Pyro's, the other's Bobby's. Alex sat as Pyro talked of the rules of sharing living quarters. The blond boy mused on the fact he knew Bobby's habits intimately and had never met him. The sharing had been a strange experience, now a look between the two boys could convey so much. Their personalities were still distinct but they could read each other like, no closer than, twins. Pyro then opened the window and fished out a packet of Marlboro, offering one to Ghost. Alex took a deep draw of the lit cigarette. Funny, he remembered, even craved smoking, a thing he'd never actually done, but was now second nature.

"Umm, Jean said you'd need help dressing, getting about.. and ... uhh .. washing. So let me know if you need a slash or a shower." Pyro was a bit bashful at this point. "it just weird you've done loads of crappy scary amazing stuff..."

"And I'm still a virgin. I was fighting to stay alive. I'm emotionally stunted. I hardly ever wanked never mind thought about connecting with someone." Alex practiced blowing smoke through his nose and snorted, finding the sensation quite pleasant.

"What about that Yassen guy. He stated he loved you. I guess if you'd had half a chance you'd have fucked." Pyro said casually, he had not been a virgin since he was thirteen.

"Yeah, hot angry hate sex." Th more Alex thought about Yassen, the more he got their connection. So alike in the end.

"He was definitely hot" stated Pyro, lost in the memory of the beautiful dangerous Russian, "Hell, just popping that guy for dropping a package!"

"I know." The young ex-spy thought of the man who in the end had died trying to protect him from nutcase Damian Cray. Sending Alex to Malagosto was his way of trying to get his friend's son away from MI6. Alex looked at Pyro, he now had someone who knew all his deep dark secrets, mind you Alex knew all Pyro's. He wondered about his own empathic gift, as part of him as was Pyro's fire.

"So, Ghost. Have you ever watched a TV show called Babylon 5." At that Alex recalled a programme viewed through Pyro's eyes.

"PsiCorp?" Alex looked at the black gloves on his hands. "So, I should dress in black and act like ... ummm ... Blunt?"

"No, sex god Yassen. God I would love to know if that man swung our way."

Alex blushed, his desire for the russian had been ruthlessly suppressed in the past year. Pyro leant forward and touched Alex's face. As soon as they touched, emotions blended and Alex was lost in Pyro. From fingers to the soft touch of lips. Pyro tasted of smoke, chocolate and coffee. Alex was lost and found, two and one, this was the most intense experience, it beat snowboarding down a mountain, surviving a dam rupturing and all the other shit he'd lived through. Both kissing and being kissed. Ouroboros, a never-ending circle of feeling, arousal and belonging.


	4. Chapter 4

Bobby could not decide if his younger brother was just a completely jealous jerk or had always been a sycophantic mommy's boy. The Iceman was not close to any of his family, not anymore. He went home regularly trying to regain what was lost, but he was fooling himself, just grasping at straws. Maybe John was right, a clean break was in some ways better for all. He needed to talk it over with his roomie. He went upstairs directly to see if Pyro had survived his second stint of summer school. There was laughter coming from the room. Bobby had heard from Rogue that there was a new mutant, it sounded like he was rooming with Fire and Ice. The door now stated Iceman, Pyro and Ghost. What sort of name was Ghost?

Bobby walked in to see Pyro and a blond teenager in bed, together. Bobby was a bit shocked. He knew Pyro was bi, but well, things had changed a lot since Bobby had been to visit his family.

Pyro immediately jumped out of bed, buck naked and quickly dressed. The blond lay back, "Get some rest Ghost, I'll come and get you for dinner. I've got a bit of catching up to do with my bestie, Iceman."

The blond was very thin, but he smiled "Its good to finally met you, Bobby. Jean will skin Pyro alive if I don't rest up. I'll catch up with you guys later."

In the dining area downstairs both boys had sodas and were soon caught up. Iceman leaned back and took in all the facts about Pyro's boyfriend. "So, he's like Rogue."

"Well, no. He can shield now. One of the kids grabbed him yesterday and no harm done. Alex only felt surface stuff, but with skin contact Alex can always get a transfer of feelings. The accidental full mind meld won't be happening again. The Professor thinks its a positive for both me and Ghost. I get a boast of calm and I can now speak three, no four languages and do karate. I'm at Grade 10 level schooling as well. Ghost is a bit of a swat. Ghost now smokes, can give the best blow jobs and gets family are shits really. He was completely mind fucked by his uncle. I gave him survival 101. We are both survivors, hard and nasty, but you know that about me. Ummm, we've been getting shit from the seniors about being out and proud just to warn you. I'm happy. Its like I'm married, kismet, soul mates and such crap."

"Out and Proud. Has Rogue been cool about it?" enquired Bobby of his girlfriend.

"Yeah, she and the girls now think of both of us as honourary females. Rogue threatened two of the seniors and then Piotr got hold of them. Ghost and him get on like a house on fire. Piotr's teaching him Russian. Go figure. Just think man, I'm finally not a freaky weirdo any more."

"I hate to break this to you, John but you will always be a freaky weirdo, we all are, remember Mutant High." Bobby smiled and then asked "So whats Ghost's past apart from a nutty uncle."

"Ian? I thought my dad was bad, Jesus Ian Rider brought Alex up to some insane master plan. Alex found out all the holidays, the bonding and activities were all just to prepare him for Ian Rider's master plan. My dad was just a shit parent. Ian was a twisted Machiavellian patriotic psycho. Don't start on Ghost's dad. His family background is a minefield. His foster mom was cool, she died in June."

"Shit that's awful." Bobby sympathised. Ghost was an orphan. At least he had a family of sorts now at the Mansion. "I take it the Professor and Jean are cool about you being so close."

"Well, no, not really. Charles accepts we bonded, its complicated with Ghost's empathy and telepathy, but the side affect is he is one person I can trust implicitly. I think I get you more now. Funny, he taught me trust and empathy. I was such an asshole before. Anyway, sex... I had a weird view of sex before. It was away of getting cash when all other options were exhausted. I've had a lot of partners, mostly on the receiving end. Ghost is so, kind and gentle, unsure and awkward. He thinks he's ugly but he is the most beautiful person, a dudley do right though and through. No moral ambiguity, not like me. Its been a learning curve for both of us. I get interpersonal relationships are different from fucking. We make love. So, we have both had full psyche sessions with the good doctor, couselling. We are initimate, but I think its for life. Shit I'm sixteen and married."

"Oh, I left you birthday present in our room. God, do you two always sleep in the same bed?" Bobby blushed, suddenly uncomfortable with the idea of them having sex while he was in the room.

"No fear, we won't cramp you. I swear we'll be like nuns except when alone."

"Nuns?"

"Yeah, well, monks, nuns, whatever. We won't flaunt ourselves. No breaking of room rules, promise." Pyro said with a roguish smile.

"John, you never kept a rule in your life." Bobby said, "So, double dates from now on?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Alex sat on the examination table as he was checked out by Jean. "Good you've put on two pounds. I will adjust your eating plan. More protein and dairy now you can stomach solids better. I want you to swim every morning and dare I ask you to stop smoking."

Alex thought about it. "I'll cut down, I know its a disgusting habit but its calming. So, class starts tomorrow. I'm nervous about school. Will it be very different from England?"

"Not too different. Remember you're a runaway from Pittsburgh."

"I know my legend, Alex Brandon, 16, orphan. Blah Blah." Alex said with a perfect American accent. "My mother was Jackie Brandon. I lived in London from the ages of 8 to 15, when she died in a car crash. She was employed as a nanny/housekeeper." The legend covered enough similarities with his own life without all the nasty business. As all good aliases there was a fragment of truth. Jackie Brandon and her son Alexander had existed, but had disappeared in 1995.

Alex dressed and then came the psychological tests and assessment if he needed therapy. He noted Jean Grey was a doctor first. She left all of Alex's assessment regarding his gift to Charles.

"When did you get used to your gift? Its both comfortable and completely freaky. I just can't get over I'll never be able to touch anyone again without knowing stuff about them"

"I noticed you are quite careful keeping your skin covered. Are you not comfortable shielding yet?" Jean asked.

"I can shield my telepathy. No matter how hard I concentrate my empathy thing, is there. I only get surface emotions but its strange feeling stuff thats not me."

"You don't have problems touching John." She had observed their close friendship. John was forever touching Alx, maybe it was subliminal. John had been so closed off before. He was like a different person with Alex.

"Pyro is reassured when we touch. It depends on the touch though. When its more intimate its intense. I... think I'm addicted to Pyro. He's just like home when I touch him. He is comfort and safety." Alex tried to sum up the complete change in his life here at Mutant High. "I've changed so much, not just my emerging mutant abilities. Pyro has changed but so have I. I was depressed, withdrawn, a compete mess after Jack's murder, but I feel calmer. It might just be the fact I've drawn a line under my old life. I will never be that person again. That Alex is dead. Its cathartic, a rebirth. All positive."

"Are you sexually active?"

"With Pyro, yeah. We haven't you know gone all the way. He treats me very gently. I know he's had a few partners. Is that even the correct term for being used and abused? Pyro is as fragile as I am. He does not want to fuck us up. He's so introverted over personal stuff. Hard exterior, gentle and kind when you know him. I think its forever, us, Pyro and Ghost." Alex laughed, he was in love. He knew it beyond all doubt.

"Just don't jump into the physical side of things. You are only 15, you have all the time in the world." Jean stated this with a smile.

Alex pondered her turn of phrase. 'All the Time in the World', if that didn't jinx everything Alex would be amazed. If he knew anything, you lived every day like it was your last. He might not be a Rider anymore, but he had been living on borrowed time, a new school really changed nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

Pyro was sat in the library supposedly doing a stupid essay but was actually thinking about his squeeze, his Alex. He pondered the stupid question for a moment but it was difficult to concentrate between his hormones and the heightened tension since the mutant attack on the White House. Alex had not gone on the field trip to the Museum, still too unsure of his emerging gifts to be in complete control in enemy territory. Then again Alex was not all that happy with politics in general at Mutant High. The ethics class had seen the British teenager show grave doubts about the whole scenario at Liberty Island, concluding that leaving one of their own to the 'human' authorities was a major mistake. Pyro like the analogy. OK to stop Magneto but the Professor was too trusting of the US Government to do the right thing. This was the same bunch of bureaucrats which had used a fourteen year old as cover for two CIA operatives in Cuba and had later sent the same teenager into space to stop a bit of space junk falling on Washington. The brunette turned to note the blond hottie was in the library and had removed his gloves as he walked directly up to boyfriend, his finger tips brushed Pyro's cheek, touching him barely and briefly, but the minimal connection of flesh was enough to transfer all that had happened during his session with Dr. Grey. Their eyes met and Pyro watched Alex turn and stride away with purpose. So it was date night.

Alex had staked out the entire mansion and surrounding estate. He knew all the passage ways, he had noted the escape plans, the hidden cashes of money and equipment, just in case the worst came to the worst, open warfare or complete segregation. There was an abandoned gardner's hut on the edge of the private estate, secluded by pines from the main house. A stashed blanket and two sleeping bags providing the only comfort. Alex had entered and he lit three candles to illuminate the bare room in the the evening gloom. Even a small flame from these candles would comfort Pyro. Alex was so tempted to strip right away but he waited for his soon to be lover. The anger over Jean's platitudes burned in his gut. All the time in the world. There was no time, he could die tomorrow or worse loose St. John. Pyro had been so patient as he helped Ale explore his sexuality, letting him learn sensuality first. Those words had burned away all his apprehension about sex. Here and now, seize the day. He may only be fifteen but life had proved he could not guarantee this idyll would not end abruptly. He knew he had no luck and love, yes he was sure it was love, was worth any risk or any petty punishment.

"Sorry I'm late. I got supplies." Pyro stated as he pulled out cans of soda, candy, snack bars. The dark haired youth then pulled out lube. "No need to worry about STD's. I checked both our medical files. Well, I'm clean and you're a virgin. So do you need to know anything before we start." Pyro had lost his virginity in New York, his first lover had been gentle, many of his subsequent partners had not been.

Alex looked into his love's eyes. He had all of Pyro's memories and no actual experience. Personal connections had passed him by, he did no consider his strange relationship with Sabina. He was so out of the closet now. "I want this. I want this now. I want to give myself to you. I know you prefer to top and I have no preference. I just want you, John. Show me. In my mind I have seen, felt and experienced all that you have, but I need to feel, to connect with you fully."

Clothes were loosened and removed. They lay on the blanket, half pulling the sleeping bags over their naked bodies to steel against the chill in the air, there was no heat source nor any fire place in the hut, but it offered seclusion and privacy, a hot commodity in a boarding school. Alex had had very little problem removing the padlocks on the door the old fashioned way by picking the lock.

Alex lay on his back as Pyro throughly kissed him and then explored his lover's body. Touch, nips, licks and kisses on his flesh soon had the blond virgin squirming and begging. A soft caress of his cock and balls and Alex was gasping, achingly hard.

"On your knees, its easier to prepare you and better for when we fuck. We can try other positions later. I will prepare you, loosen you and that should lessen the chance of pain. Remember to relax"

Alex was lost letting Pyro lead, wondering how he could function in the haze of pleasure, the empathic bond meaning he could feel both his and Pyro's pleasure, desire and anticipation.

Pyro worked his finger's into Alex anus. He was so tight. "Relax baby. You will enjoy it. I'll make it so good."

Alex expected pain but was almost in sensory overload as John started to breach him. He could go insane, not knowing where he began and Pyro ended, they were connected physically and mentally. One, unending and whole. The fire mutant thrust and lost himself too, his gift causing the candles to burn bright and fast. Never before had sex been like this. The two lost themselves in the act of consuming love. The flames of the candles flared and went out as the two lover's climaxed and fell over the edge of their orgasm and into darkness.

Alex woke with Pyro's softened cock still within him, a pleasant heavy weight on his back and the room cold and dark. It was late, very late and Alex knew something bad was happening, he could hear the distant sound of helicopters. This was not good. He reached out with his senses, neither the Professor nor Jean were home.

"Pyro, get up, get dressed. We need to warn everyone. Now, Pyro! Fuck! The fucking nut job special forces are coming to take out a bunch of school kids." Alex jumped into his clothes, not caring he was a sticky mess. He stood and moved to the wainscoted panelling on the wall. A shove and a tunnel to the house was revealed. No night-scopes would betray the two boys warning the main house.

Pyro went straight upstairs to wake the dorms, get the kids to the safe houses. Ghost appeared in the kitchen to see the new guy, what was his name, Logan?, talking to Iceman.

"Bogies are on there way. I heard at least ten copters coming in low from the north-west. Ice you need to get upstairs to your exit point." Alex then concentrated on the other mutant. "Want to hold the fort old man?"

"Shut you mouth, kid?" growled Wolverine as he moved off the stool, his mind whirring over the best defensive position, where the intruders would attack. Why were Special Forces taking out a school, apart from the fact it was the base of the X-men. What a night to be left babysitting? One X-man, and not a team player at that, there was no way could not protect all the kids, maybe just play for time. They just needed a few minutes for the evacuation plans to work. The kids splitting up into the night.

Alex then stood stock still as both he and the gruff Canadian listened and noted the slight, barely perceptible sounds that did not belong. There were intruders in the school. Alex moved with silence and hid himself to the side of the refrigerator as he nodded his head for the two others to hide.

Wolverine moved to slice the figure wh entered with a gun, but the intuder slumped to the ground untouched. "Sorry, should have warned you. I'm a telepath and the Prof showed me a few tricks. Sleeping Bety is trapped in deep sleep, nice nightmareas as well. I can't manage everyone like the Charles did at the museum, one at a time that all." It beat the hell out of getting the crap beat out of you anyway and used a lot less energy. "Shit there's over a dozen in the house already."

Then an ear piercing scream ripped through the house. Alex knew those upstairs now needed diversions to escape "Come on! Lets get out of here!"

Wolverine watched as the slight blond kid, moved with silent grace to the back service stairs to help protect the others. The only adult in the house moved to the main hall to hold off the next wave of soldiers.

Iceman made it upstairs to see streams of kids make it to their exit points. The passages allowing their exit. He was looking for Marie when he saw twin shadows move to incapacitate the strangers with guns. Since when did Pyro know karate ninja shit? He and Ghost moved with weird synchronicity, before Pyro noted his roommate. "Come on Ice, Marie should be at escape hatch 2G." As john motioned down the corridor for Ice to see four bad guys clutch their heads and fall over.

Alex winced and almost collapsed. The mental mind fucking of the grunts was not as easy as he first thought. Now he had a major migraine. "Come on guys, lets get Rogue and get to safety before the main attack force gets here."

Rogue threw a spanner into the plan of just getting out. She wanted to save her friend as Logan was on his own downstairs.

As they stumbled down the passage to the garage, Alex muttered to Logan "Don't dwell on that creep, we have to consolidate, get to Jean and Storm. That General already has the Prof. We need a plan. I hope Jean has some back ups because running away is a lot like defeat."

"Jean and Storm were headed for Boston" That was all Logan knew. It was a start. The ultimate loner now wished he had connections. They needed all the friends they had at the moment

Bobby then piped up, "My folks live in Boston. Lets head there."


	6. Chapter 6

A litany of curses, using all the variety of swearing in several languages was going through his mind as Pyro gripped his boyfriend's hand, clinging to each other in terror in the back of the X-Plane during the unannounced ariel stunt display, dog fight and hurricane bonanza. The Australian wished he had not just thought this day could not get any worse. This was most definitely worse. He listened to the homing in of the missiles, dead on their tail. He knew Alex was concentrating on Jean, communicating telepathically to help her focus her telekinetic powers. He could feel rather than hear the conversation. The link between the two teenagers was strong, always present; rather surprising considering he had no telepathic abilities himself. Touch meant Alex shared everything, he felt no need for secrets with Pyro. It was a first for the mutant, he had always been alone even when he had family; now he was a team, partners, lovers. He then thought maybe Alex's bad mood last night could even be considered prophetic. The pissed off Ghost had almost demanded sex, after weeks of just touch, making out, escalating in the last few days to shared masturbation and blow jobs. Pyro had been happy to take things steady with his first proper relationship. He was not sure how everything just clicked, it was just good, perfect, real. Ghost was so guarded with his emotions, but he shared everything with Pyro. He did not doubt this openness. It was right, good, healing and cleansing for both broken boys.

...

The car of five escapees had arrived in Boston just after 9am, to find none of Bobby's family home. Probably a good thing, it gave the group time to calm down, relax and have a short respite until Logan had talked to Jean. Everyone had split up to do their own thing. In the family bathroom, the two boys had showered together and then crept to the basement to put their clothes into speed wash. Pyro had watched over as Ghost slept, wrapped in a towel in the laundry room until the drier cycle finished. Pyro had been happy to cuddle his exhausted boyfriend, musing on the fact that both boys could sleep anywhere, as they both had plenty of times in their pasts when there had been few comforts. They emerged when the Drake's arrived home and everything went to shit. Bobby's parent's did the expected and failed to support or embrace their son's gift. Ghost missed most of the action as he was half-asleep as the family scene played out and then the fact Ronny Drake squealed to the cops.

They had barely made it out of the door, all of them on guard to find themselves surrounded by gun-happy local cops. Cops who had shot Logan before he could explain anything. Pyro knew that giving up would see them locked up as terrorists, probably tortured as well. Alex's memories of being waterboarded played across his subconscious. He would not hand Ghost back to the bastards in power. Plus, it felt so good to let his power free. Each of them was dangerous in their own way, but Pyro's ability had been honed over the years to be a weapon to be wielded when all else failed. He knocked the cops down, the flash flame was enough to singe not incinerate. The cars exploded as flame touched inflammables.

Pyro was loosing himself, his control slipping as Ghost touched his ankle. Thoughts not his own filled his mind, bringing calm, control and the fact Jean and Storm were close. 'Naughty boy, playing without me.' Pyro looked down to see a smile on Ghost's face. He for one was happy to leave. All moved to the X-plane, Bobby stopping briefly to look at his family, one he now would have no contact with. His mother had made it plain, be a mutant or be family. Bobby could not quite believe the betrayal of his brother.

The fact, no one passed comment when Logan resurrected himself, the older mutant healed from what should have been a fatal gun-shot would to the head.

Bobby, Rogue and Logan paid no heed to the mutant sat in the plane behind Jean. Ghost saw the new guy in the plane and began a short conversation in German, knowledge from Jean meaning he instinctively knew the guy was a teleporter, a star of the Circuses and Fringe shows across Europe. "Hi Kurt or Nightcrawler, whatever. I'm Ghost. You're so cool! Tattoos, blue, a tail and you can teleport. I'm just a crummy empath. I want to be blue."

Pyro laughed at, adding "Maybe we should all go to Germany to join the circus. We ain't exactly welcome here in the good ol' US, anymore."

"Can it, Fireboy!" stated Logan as he settled into his seat. "Lets get out of here."

...

A small trail of blood trickled from Ghost's left nostril as he felt Jean lose herself to her power, like a raging inferno. Her telekinesis spiking as she ejected the other telepath from her mind. Pyro was also grabbing his head. He had to shield better. He pulled himself into his meditation routine, the plane would crash or not crash. The explosion had damaged the fuselage after Jean had managed to divert the second missile not to make a direct hit, Jean and Storm were now fighting to save the plane. Rogue had been saved by the new guy, who proved to brave and resourceful, but they were still falling in a flat spin, out of control.

The whole structure shuddered under another's power. Ghost spoke outloud, "Cool, are they the bad guy's?" Ghost recognised Magneto possibly the most famous mutant terrorist on the planet. Pyro was more caught up on the fact they had been missed being hamburger by the skin of their teeth. Their luck had changed. It was mutants united. No more good and bad. The government were now the enemy.

...

Jean talked over plans with the others as the kids made camp, lit a fire and settled down to eat and sleep. She really needed to talk to Ghost. Alex was moving at a tangent to the careful and safe path they had discussed. She had been a teenager. Any adult telling you to do something meant you did the exact opposite, except Alex was mature beyond his years. Alex, as soon as the adults left the mansion, had lost his virginity in a fit of anger. Anger fueled by the mountain of abuse and betrayal Alex had suffered in the past two years, well longer considering how his uncle had treated him. The boy needed counseling over his actions, but getting Charles, Scott and the kidnapped children back was top priority. That and stoping just what that General had planned with Cerebro. She also knew Pyro had acted extremely to protect Alex today. Bobby had lost his family and they were all now fugitives. Jean also squashed he unease over the spike in her powers. It was unnerving, almost alien. She went to the tent she was sharing with Ororo, she was bone tired. In the morning they would check the plane and make their way to Alkali Lake. She would have to make time to talk to each of the kids. All of them were in shock after the traumatic events of the past 24 hours.


End file.
